Comfort
by Barn Owl Girl
Summary: When 6 has a nightmare, who's there to comfort him? Why, it's everyone's favorite one-eyed stitchpunk, 5! Just a sweet, little one-shot. NOT a slash.


**A/N: I know what you're thinking. "Oh, Barn Owl Girl, what are you thinking, writing another story while you're in the middle of Seven Days?" Well, I was feeling bored on night and I couldn't think of much, so I wrote this. I think it's set sometime before the movie, but I don't know. Sometime before 6 had drawn all his Talisman sketches. And this ISN'T a slash. Anyway, I think that's it. Don't forget to leave a review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own 9 or anything.  
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><p><em>5's POV...<em>

A shrill scream rang out through the otherwise silent night. I shot straight up, wide-awake now. I hated it when it was screams that shook me out of my rest cycle. They usually came from 7, for I knew that she was troubled with terrible nightmares, some of which even gave me chills just to hear about. But tonight, these screams weren't coming from 7.

They were coming from 6.

I leapt up, all traces of sleep completely gone from my face. I stumbled around blindly in the darkness. I still wasn't completely adjusted to only having one eye, and it did make my night vision considerably worse. And the depth perception thing was completely thrown off. I stubbed my knee on some small object that I had seen reflect moonlight only a moment earlier. I stifled a gasp of pain, and silently cursed the moon. Why does it have to be so dark?

I'd always been afraid of the dark, for darkness was the shroud of evil. Who knows what could be waiting out there, just beyond the reaches of your vision, ready to jump out and devour you at any moment…

_No, _I interrupted my horrible, horrible thoughts. I forced myself to think of 6, who must be scared out of his wits by now, all alone up there next to the throne room…

So, with the thought of 6 in my mind, I continued to make my way cautiously through the Cathedral's main halls. Once I was close enough, the Christmas lights cast a dim glow, just enough for me to see by. Thank the Scientist that 2 had installed those lights. If not… oh, I couldn't even bear the thought of making my way through a pitch-black Cathedral.

But, the light guided me towards the bucket lift. I was strong enough to hoist myself up, but the creaking of the crank sounded a thousand times louder in the dead of night.

After what felt like an eternity, I reached the level where 6's room was located. Unfortunately, to get to 6, I was going to have to go through 1's throne room. I could imagine none-too well what could happen if I woke 1. _You foolish boy! How many times do I have to tell you, stick to your own part of the Cathedral! Next time I see you up here, I'll be ordering 8 to dispose of you! _I even shivered at the thought.

So, I crept as silently as I could toward 6's room. Each step made the floorboards creak painfully, and I was sure that 1 would awaken and minute now and yell in my face.

But, I made it safely across the throne room and over to the curtain that marked the beginning of 6's space. I pulled the curtain aside, and barely stifled a gasp when the sight met my eyes.

6's bed had been ripped open at the seams, and the stuffing that had filled his mattress was now ink-stained and strewn across the room. 6 was curled in a ball, hugging his knees to his chest, slowly rocking back and forth, and I instantly felt a rush of sympathy.

"6… oh, 6, what happened?"

6 raised his head to look at me. "M-m…mi-m-m..." he whispered, the launched himself onto me.

I was a bit take aback when 6 buried his face in my chest and began to cry even harder. After some thought, I hugged 6 gently and rubbed his back, just as I would do for a small child. I sat us both down on the edge of 6's shredded bed, and tried to soothe him as he sobbed into me. When I sat awkwardly down, he knelt on my lap, his head still pressed to my chest. It felt slightly awkward having anyone so close to me, but this was 6! He was like a little brother to me.

Once the sobs had diminished, I decided to try again. "What's wrong?"

6, who still had his head buried in my chest, only whimpered a little.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

This time, 6 gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head.

I sighed. Well, it was a start. "Can you tell me what it was about?" I prompted.

6 raised his head and whispered hoarsely, "M-missing. Have to f-find it." He was shaking uncontrollably, and I held him close, trying to share some of my body's heat with him.

"Do you know what you're looking for?" I continued. When 6 didn't answer, I repeated myself very slowly. "6, do you know what you have to find?"

6 just barely shook his head. My single eyebrow shot up. "What do you mean, no?"

"D-don't know…" he whispered. "Don't know w-w-what…"

After some thought, I suggested, "Can you tell me? Explain to me what it looks like?" I was thinking that he just didn't know what it was called. And maybe, if I helped him find it, he'd go back to sleep.

Again, 6 shook his head. "Show," he murmured, then fell off my lap to the ground. At first, I thought that he just didn't have the strength to stand. But then, I realized that the little stripy one was hunched over because he was _drawing! _

He'd drawn a thing or two before, since he had those pen-nib fingers, but he'd just drawn the occasional picture for the twins or anyone, for it seemed that what he lacked in the verbal department, he made up for in the artistic one. However, this time, he seemed to be drawing with a sense of urgency. He seemed panicked to get the ink onto the paper, and it freaked me out a little.

When he was finished (which wasn't very long after) he held up his drawing for me to see. I took the sketch and moved to a puddle of moonlight so I could get a better view. Seriously, how did 6 draw in the dark?

"Huh," I stated as I examined the drawing. It looked vaguely familiar, like something from a long-forgotten dream. But what was it? Hmm… Perhaps I'll show it to 2…

The sketch was of a round thing, split into three parts. There was a unique design on each third, but since 6 had drawn it so hastily, it looked quite sloppy.

"What is it?" I asked, then remembered that he wasn't quite sure. "Er… I mean… Do you know where to find it?"

"Back," he whispered. "Back to the Source! F-find it!"

"Sure," I gently comforted. "We'll find it."

"Go back!" he said, a little more viciously this time. "Back now!"

"We can't go back right now," I quietly told him. "It's too late. But, if we get back to sleep right now, we can go look for it tomorrow."

"G-go back?" he asked. "To the Source? Find it?"

I nodded. "Sure. We can go back to the… er, _Source_, tomorrow."

6 seemed content with that answer. He hugged me and nuzzled his head into my chest. "Nrr…" he muttered, still nuzzling. I was a bit taken aback, but he was just so… sweet. So young, so innocent, so childish. So _6_. "Thank you…" he whispered into my chest. "Thanks much…"

He began to doze off again, his arms still wrapped around me. I sighed. _Looks like I'm gonna be here for the night. _


End file.
